Weekly Media Roundup - November 9, 2011

by Luci Manning

Study Says State Lags in Afterschool Programs (Rapid City Journal, South Dakota) Though afterschool programs are widely available in Rapid City, many of South Dakota’s rural areas are without the needed resources to develop afterschool programs. The Rapid City Journal points out that, “South Dakota scored only a 2 on availability of after-school programs in the 2011 State-by-State Afterschool Progress Reports and Consumer Guides,” released last week by the Afterschool Alliance. Read more about the Progress Reports here.

Foreign Educators Eager to Learn How to Help Girls (Statesman Journal, Oregon) Earlier this week, leaders from nine countries visited afterschool and education programs in Salem to learn: how to cultivate young female leaders; different ways of strengthening organizations serving girls; build creative partnerships that address issues of concern to girls and women; and how to support afterschool programs for at-risk youth earlier this week. Representatives from Egypt, Burma, Togo, Cyprus and the Bahamas practiced dance moves with an afterschool hip-hop dance class during the tour.

Centro Romero Provides Tutoring Assistance to Latino Children on Chicago’s Far North Side (Chicago Tribune, Illinois) High school senior Jocelyn Duran spends some of her afternoons tutoring afterschool students at Centro Romero, a community organization on Chicago’s Far North Side, because she knows the program works. Years before when Duran was in fifth grade, she went to Centro Romero for help raising her own grades. The program is known for helping Latino students, many of whom struggle because their own parents do not have high school degrees and may not speak English. Duran told the Chicago Tribune she is “grateful” for having participated in the program and is busy applying to college!

Stanton Skates into Phoenix’s Mayoral Post (Associated Press, Arizona) Newly elected Mayor of Phoenix Greg Stanton has education and children’s issues at the top of his list of priorities. Stanton made afterschool part of his election platform and said that he wants to improve funding for early childhood education and make afterschool programs based more on academics.